Things Changed
by Rianne Pond
Summary: Hikaru and Kaoru, why is it always in that order? When Kaoru begins to question the role he plays in his brother's life an all out fight ensues. How was he supposed to predict that Hikaru would run away to Milan? What are the words that bring him back? What things change?


**This is a requested story for Adorable Reader...**

**The point of view can be confusing, so, the first part is in Hikaru's pov and the second is in Kaoru's pov, then the last returns to Hikaru... Hope that helps!**

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**Things Changed**

My throat itched. It scratched like an army of fire ants marched up my throat and into my mouth. There wasn't anything I could do. I was already under the influence of enough drugs that my mind was in a haze. Colors blurred together and Kaoru's voice floated like something from the heavens. I felt my eyes wandering the open space before I forced myself to focus all of my attention on Kaoru.

"Here, drink some water, you don't look so good," he encouraged; seating himself on the edge of my bed and helping me sit up to take a sip. Somehow I managed to dribble the water down the side of the glass and onto my bare chest. Kaoru clicked his tongue and wiped the water from my hot chest. My fever wasn't any lower despite his constant attending to me. Dad had told him to call a doctor, but I hated doctors; I'd so much rather have Kaoru care for me.

"Thank you," I moaned, knowing that I must stay polite if I wanted this special treatment to continue. My awful illness was enough to make me _feel_ miserable; I just couldn't _act_ as such towards Kaoru. He smiled at me and carefully wiped a piece of sweaty hair from my cheek. I shivered under the chills that repeatedly assaulted me. He giggled.

"It's a shame that you might be contagious, you know that?" he said, a lazy grin growing on his face as I knew exactly what he meant. I wouldn't mind to have his arms wrapped around me, but I wouldn't be able to bear getting him ill as well, especially with this devil sickness.

"Kao," I said with a hoarse throat and smiled. He knew that I meant I agreed. We worked like that. Some called it twin telepathy, but I knew it was just because we were _that_ close. We knew each other _that_ well. He let me slip back into my lying position in the bed and placed a giant basket onto the edge of the bed with a mischievous smile. If I had the core strength to sit up without causing myself to wretch I would have peeked into it to see just what he was up to, but alas I did not. He knew I was incapable of doing such and seemed to enjoy my eager anticipation.

"Kyoya just dropped off the get well cards," he announced, handing me a couple to look at. I smiled. There were hand drawn pictures and nice letters, but something caught my eye.

"Your name," I whispered. He nodded. Apparently, the entirety of the princesses thought it was impossible for me to get sick and for Kaoru to not. Every letter was addressed to _Hikaru and Kaoru_. Kaoru was flipping through a couple too and began to laugh uncontrollably.

"Honey made one too!" he chuckled, pointing to a picture of Usa-chan giving me a hug. I laughed too, causing my stomach to ache. I leaned over my stomach and let Kaoru dote over me. He pushed the basket over and set me back, rubbing my shoulder. We sat like that, side by side for a long time. I wheezed heavy breaths while he held me around the shoulders and made sure I stayed hydrated.

"Why do they think that we do everything together?" I managed to choke out, my breath coming slightly easier with him beside me. He looked down at me and shrugged.

"What I want to know is why every single letter says 'Hikaru and Kaoru'," he stated, pointing at one sitting on my lap. I raised an eyebrow at him skeptically. "Your name is always first." I sighed realizing just what he meant.

"So?" I asked, coughing once and watching his eyes look at me reproachfully. He took his arm from my shoulders and looked at me with such suspicion it almost stung.

"So?" he asked with a different inflection. "Why is it always 'Hikaru and Kaoru'? Don't you think I'd like to be put first in your life sometimes?" he accused, turning it into something other than just a get well card. Apparently this had crossed his mind before. He seemed to have already formed his argument. It was almost as if he had worried about this many times before. I sighed and lifted a hand to his knee.

"What are you talking about? You're the most important thing in my life Kao," I insisted, my voice sounding feeble to my own ears. Perhaps my piteous condition would help my case.

"Sure…" he replied, standing up and sweeping the cards back in the basket. I watched him do this while he gave me a sort of uninterested glare.

"What does that mean? You don't believe me?" I asked in disbelief. We'd never had such an argument before. Nothing came between us and it was certainly not jealousy of the roles we played in the other's lives. He had nothing to worry about. Kaoru was really _my everything_ and to think that he thought otherwise was just incredible.

"Of course not! You've been so close with Haruhi lately it's not hard to imagine what's going on there," he replied, obviously making this so much more than it was. I couldn't believe he was pulling the Haruhi card. It wasn't as if we were anything other than friends. She was our plaything. She had never been more than that to me until Kaoru made me get to know her better. He should be kicking himself for starting this. I knew about his plan. I knew about him _teaching_ me, like that was his responsibility anyway. She'd made a mark, but nothing more. We were just friends.

"Nothing! I can't believe you don't trust me… I'm not going to put up with this!" I yelled, knowing that my voice would be gone momentarily. He had the nerve to accuse me after he practically married me off to her? What was this? Kao had never been the jealous type. I shook my head at him; it wasn't good to make me angry, because I held grudges like no other.

"Fine, I bet you can go complain to Haruhi," he said, quick tongued. I curled my lip, so craving to cuss him out, out of anger.

"Maybe I will! What do you care?" I drawled, my voice taking on the sinister edge that it only gained when I was very upset.

"Fine!" he called. I sneered at him as he lifted his basket and left the room. I waited for his door to slam on the other side of the wall before I stood up on shaky legs. I braced myself on my furniture and dressed my wasting-away body for my long trek downstairs. Somehow I managed to fumble downstairs only falling once. That one time was enough to take it out of me, however. My lungs gasped to refill with oxygen and my muscles felt like rubber as I tripped out to the garage. I called for my chauffer shortly after collapsing onto the hood of the car.

When he arrived he didn't ask me questions; he merely helped me into the back of the car and asked my destination. It wasn't his job to worry about my physical or mental health he was just there to drive me places. I appreciated the silence of the limo as he drove the familiar roads. I fell asleep part way there and had to be awoken when we arrived at the destination. I pulled up my hood and attempted to conceal my sickly appearance, my greenish hue, red nose and puffy eyes.

I didn't have to stand at Haruhi's door for very long while I waited. While I did though, I listened to the playful noises of children. There were kids on the street playing games carelessly, without an idea in the world as to what love was and what complications it caused in one's life. I envied their simple lives, their simple thoughts, their wondrous pleasures.

"Hikaru?" she asked, her voice hitting a higher octave in either pleasure or surprise. "Oh my, are you okay?" she further inquired as she led me inside to sit in her living room. I collapsed onto the ground and unconsciously began to rest my head on her shoulder. She held my arm and patted me until I regained my wit.

"I upset Kaoru," I sobbed, my eyes leaking large tears of disappointment. How many times must I do this before I realize that I need him?

She held my hand and rubbed circles into my skin, almost as if she were trying to make a move on me, I knew it was merely to comfort me though. I wished Kaoru knew my feelings towards her. She was merely comforting, sweet and a feminine opinion that was so vacant in my life.

"Can you apologize?" she suggested, always one to encourage the simple approach. I smiled at her and shook my head solemnly. "You should be with him. Not me," she responded, shaking her head.

"He worries that I'll fall in love with you. He worries that the match-up between us is too good. He worries that as I grow more compassionate I grow more romantic, more perceptive of emotions and more in love with you, but it simply isn't true. I'm sorry Haruhi, but no matter how much I try I can't get him out of my mind. I can't take it any longer," I wept, my eyes wet and red. She held my arm tightly as if it would keep me from exploding with emotion.

"What are you going to do?" she asked, her doe eyes bright with wonderment. I tightened my lips and blinked rapidly at my realization.

"I'm going to go."

"Where?" Haruhi asked, searching my eyes as though they were deep pools of mystery.

"It doesn't matter much to me anymore. I need to escape. I need to leave the temptation and just clear my mind a little," I replied, sliding up the wall to a standing position. She clamored over helping me up, holding my elbow as I hoisted myself up.

"Temptation?" she whispered, as if the idea of such a thing either disgusted her or perplexed her. I nodded and made my way to the door.

"It's the only thing I feel around him," I replied, letting myself out the door and stumbling down the stairs. She looked out at me with worried eyes and seemed to flinch as I tripped on the sidewalk. Nevertheless she let me do what I needed to do and that was to climb in the limo, board a plane to Milan and heal all of my injuries, emotional and physical, with my mother.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

"Hika, I know you don't want to talk to me, but we're getting worried. Kyoya says that if you miss one more day that he'll have to put you on probation. I don't know what that means, but I know I want you back. I don't know what I was thinking. I didn't mean those things I said. Please come back. I need you Hika," I said into the receiver desperately. This was the fourth message I'd left today. Hikaru had been gone for a week now and everyone was getting worried, I was morbidly overwrought with emotion and everyone agreed that his quick and safe return was the only thing to cure this malady. "Please call back when you get this."

"He's not answering?" Honey asked, his voice so tired and upset it was hard to tell it was the ever-cute Mitsukuni. I shook my head and collapsed onto the couch. The princesses doted over me as if I had lost Hika for good. The treated him as though he were dead. That bothered me immensely.

"Oh Kaoru, I'm sure he'll come back," one whispered reassuringly. I waved a hand at her coldly and she took the cue to leave. I had become very unpleasant to be with lately and Hikaru's absence was to blame.

I had purposely been avoiding talking to Haruhi because when I asked the driver he said that he'd been to the Fujioka household with Hikaru. He'd done precisely what I'd accused. He ran to her as if she were the only one he could tell his secrets to. I guess I was jealous of their relationship, but more than that I blamed Haruhi for his leaving me.

"Did you tell him about probation?" Kyoya inquired, pushing up his glasses attempting to look intelligent. I sneered at him. He saw me respond to his question and retreated from my vicinity.

"Okay. Enough," I yelled. The princesses squeaked at the sound of my booming voice. "Haruhi, come with me," I demanded, pointing at her unrelentingly. She shrunk up as though she were worried that I would reprimand her.

"Kao," Tamaki warned, giving me the look of utter protection over his Haruhi. I gave him the warning _shut-up_ glance and began to storm into the annexed room. She meekly followed behind and silently came into the dark room, shutting the doors behind her. I knew how she felt right now, uncomfortable and unsafe, and I didn't care.

"Where did he go?" I shouted, sure that the thin walls weren't disguising my loud voice. She shrugged at me. How dare she?

"He didn't say," she replied reproachfully.

"Fine, what _did_ he say?" I asked, my temper slowly simmering down although I was sure there was a murderous glimmer in my eyes. She shrugged.

"He said he had to get away and clear his mind a little," she explained. What did he have to clear from his mind? To me everything was straightforward. I was sorry. I wanted him back. He should come back.

"I'm worried about him," I sighed, my tough bravado breaking down. "To be honest I tried to teach him compassion through you, but his emotions always did drive his actions," I explained, of course referencing the Karuizawa fiasco. "I just wonder what has forced him so far away this time," I mumbled into a clasped fist, hoping to god that she held the answers that I seemed to be entirely unaware of. She smiled.

"Did it ever occur to you that it may be your doing?" she giggled, looking at me as though I were an idiotic child. I raised an eyebrow at her. She was turning this back on me? What did she mean to resolve with this?

"How so?" I uttered.

"Don't be foolish Kaoru, he loves you."

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"Hika, I'm an idiot. I can't believe I didn't realize it sooner. I'm so sorry. I love you… I love you with all of my heart. If you had just told me—" the recording of Kaoru's voice reverberated in my ear. "Please come back, come home to me. Let me show you that I love you too. Please Hikaru," he begged. I smiled into the phone, lying in the huge king sized bed.

There was a knock on the door.

"Come in," I responded, sliding the phone under the sheets as if it were a guilty pleasure. My mother entered the room, in her designer dress and looping her diamond earrings through her ears. She sat at the end of my bed and petted the lump that my feet left in the sheets. She'd brought me back to health, but now she was just trying to convince me to go home to Kaoru.

"You know he's worried about you," she calmly reasoned. I nodded. "He probably wants you back," she whispered melodically.

"He does," I replied, combing my fingers through my hair. She smiled and stood up, walking to my side and kissing the top of my head.

"I hope you realize that he needs you just as much as you need him," she mumbled. "I'm going to work; I'll see you at dinner," she sung, her hair bouncing as she walked to the door.

"No, I'm going home today," I replied, getting out of bed and picking up my suitcase. She spun on her heel and made a satisfied yet surprised grin.

"What made you change your mind?" she inquired, cocking her head to the side out of curiosity. I smiled widely.

"Things… things changed between us," I replied, feeling my heart flutter at the thought. She nodded and smiled.

"I love you," she replied, kissing me goodbye and letting me pack. I filled my suitcase and made myself presentable. The entire ride to the airport I listened to that message over and over.

_I love you… I love you with all of my heart. If you had just told me— Please come back, come home to me. Let me show you that I love you too._

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**Hope you enjoyed! I liked writing this one :) Remember to REVIEW, FAVORITE and READ my other stories!**

**Additionally, I'm writing requested stories for anyone who's interested, just PM me!**


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